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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22459663">Near Death Lessions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimicMadness/pseuds/MimicMadness'>MimicMadness</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown &amp; King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Juno is abusive, No beta we die like dehydrated worms, Panic Attacks, Rituals, Slightly - Freeform, Verbal Abuse, Vomit, beetlebabes dni, beetlelands, eventually, i hurt my favs when im sad, no beta we die like men, only in the beginning though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:15:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22459663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimicMadness/pseuds/MimicMadness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the exorcist did show up and start to exorcise Beej?</p><p>honestly, this is just a 'proof of concept' kinda thing. its super rushed but enjoy nonetheless!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beetlejuice &amp; Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice/Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>179</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Beets</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Near Death Lessions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lydia never expected her parents to come back home, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> expected that they’d bring an exorcist with them. Her confidence faltered slightly as she saw her father with a cross, Delia hiding behind him. When they spotted Lydia standing at the top of the staircase Delia screamed, yelling about how Lydia was possessed. The rest was a whirlwind, moving so fast and spinning out of control so quick it almost made her dizzy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next thing she knew, however, was that her best friend was being raised off of the floor and her ghost parents had ran down the stairs. She felt locked in place as she watched the scene unfold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he screamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He screamed so loudly that it jolted Lydia out of her shock, she whipped around to face her father.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad! Stop it, you’re hurting him!” Charles looked over at her, stony gaze not wavering in the slightest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Lydia! When we’re done with him you’ll be released from his possession!” She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as Betelguese screamed again.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The Maitlands shifted, hands held tight as they watched. They didn’t know what to really do. They didn’t really </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> him around but he just… he seemed like he was in so much pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should we help him?” Adam whispered to his wife, flinching as another scream tore its way out of the demon’s throat. Barbara hesitated, gaze fixed on Lydia. Her heart ached to reach out and hold her, to </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. Then, she realised what she could do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For Lydia.” She looked to Adam and he gave a nod. “Maitlands 2.0?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maitlands 2.0.” With that, the two ghosts surged forward, intent evident as the reached the demon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The plan backfired. As they reached the demon, they felt themselves being lifted into the air too, screaming as a searing pain shot through their bodies. It felt like their atoms were being pulled apart little by little. Tearing in the process.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Lydia’s mind raced, she felt herself start to shake with an oncoming panic attack. Suddenly, an idea struck her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If they’re in the Netherworld they won’t be gone forever, right?</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was better than having no plan at all. She fished through her dress pockets, before pulling out a piece of chalk. She rushed over, drawing a door but before she could knock, it opened on its own and a woman dressed in red hobbled through. The acidic scent of smoke mixed with rotting flesh and alcohol almost made Lydia gag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well. When I heard it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting exorcised, I just had to come and make sure it was true.” She spat. Lydia had heard of her from Betelguese. Her name was Juno if she recalled correctly. “Of course you fucked something up again. You’ve always been a huge fucking screw up!” Lydia couldn’t help but flinch at the venom in the woman’s voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C-Can you save them?!” Lydia shouts, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. Juno turned her gaze to the child. “Please! It’s my fault this happened! They didn’t do anything! Are you able to help them?! Please!” A sob clawed its way out of her throat. Juno was quiet before she huffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine. But Lawrence needs to learn his lesson. Always throwing out and disregarding everything I’ve done for his sorry ass! I gave you a place to live, I gave you food! And what do you do but cry and whine like a bitch!” During her tirade, the Maitlands fell to the ground, quickly stumbling away from the mess.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lydia felt rage bubble inside her. Did that woman really think she could talk to her best friend like that? She looked around quickly, grabbing a piece of the railing that had broken off during the calamity. The end was sharp, thanks to Betelguese’s amazing redecoration of the house. She charged forward with a yell, plunging the sharp rod into the shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juno shrieked, and a strong shockwave surged out of her body, the exorcist stumbled but continued to chant. Delia snatched the book from the exorcist just as Juno turned her attention to Lydia. She held up a shard of black tourmaline, doing her best to turn the spell on Juno.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lydia was freed from Juno’s bruising grip on her arm and Betelguese falls to the floor. His hair was a stark white and his eyes were wide with fear. He tried to curl up as he sobbed and dry heaved. He looked like a scared animal, but Lydia didn’t care. She needed to know he was okay. She needed to know her best friend wasn’t gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ran over to his side as fast as she could, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around him as best as she could and crying into his jacket. Her body acting as a protective shield for him as the exorcism finished, not noticing as Adam possessed the exorcist and made him leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you save him!” Her father’s voice rang clear in her ears as he yelled, and she felt Betelguese try to curl up tighter. “He tried to kill us! How can you just save him like that?!” Lydia stands up, facing her dad angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop! He didn’t do anything and you nearly killed him!” Charles seemed surprised at his daughter’s willingness to stand up for the demon, but he didn’t stand down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lydia, I know you’re attached to him but this is ridiculous! He is a danger to all of us, including you!” Before Lydia could snap back, Delia grabbed Charles’ arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Charles, darling… Look at him. He’s obviously terrified.” They looked over to the demon right as he threw up, shaking uncontrollably as liquid as black as ink spewed from his jaw. They grimaced, but Lydia didn’t seem to care.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know what he’s been through, dad! He only wanted a friend! He just wanted to be seen! Please! He’s the only friend I’ve had since mom died! I don’t want to be left alone again!” Charles stared at Lydia for a brief moment before his eyes cast down to look at the demon. The demon who was acting so cocky just half an hour ago. The demon that was now curled up into a ball on the floor having a panic attack and not letting anyone aside from Lydia close to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The demon who reminded him of an abused child.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Betelgeuse’s mind was hazy, his vision was spinning, eyes blurry with tears. Everything sounded and felt so far away. He wasn’t sure if he had puked or not, let alone if he was still there. But the voice of Lydia, the sound of her standing up </span>
  <em>
    <span>for</span>
  </em>
  <span> him was nothing short of grounding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was terrified. He was tired. He felt sick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I think I was wrong about him.” He registered the voice throughout the fog in his head, it felt like his ears were clogged with cotton balls and he was lost in fog heavy enough to obscure everything around him, even himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think?!” That was Lydia. He knew her voice. It was also the last thing he heard before passing out.</span>
</p>
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